


When a Stark's Not a Stark

by PhantomStorm



Series: Tony's many different Boyfriend Pairings [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Comics), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:42:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25477873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomStorm/pseuds/PhantomStorm
Summary: What happens, when instead of one son, there were two?What happens, when Howard doesn't know he has twins?What happens, when this new dynamic duo decides they're had enough?What happens.OrWhen the timeline changes and Tony gets the support he deserves.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Natasha Romanov, Tony Stark/T'Challa
Series: Tony's many different Boyfriend Pairings [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/897501
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	When a Stark's Not a Stark

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for clicking! Please enjoy  
> Shifters and Anchors are the "soulmate" pairing. In older times, the Anchors and Shiters were epic together on battlefields. As the name suggests, Anchors don't shift and they help to ground the Shifters who generally can receive a sensory overload if they spend too long in their animal form before suddenly turning back.

Maria loved Howard. Really, she did. But she also wasn’t stupid enough to be blindsided by it. Something had happened to her husband over the years. After he lost Rogers he wasn’t himself. Maria knew that the two had bonded and she wasn’t terribly hurt. Howard and her just never seemed to fully click and that was alright with them.

But when Howard had met the shifter Steve, something happened. Maria was one month pregnant and Howard was ecstatic. Peggy, Jarvis, and Ana were doing everything they could to prepare for the child’s arrival, and when Steve joined their pack, it seemed as though everything was perfect. 

But then the war happened and Steve crashed his plane leaving Howard and his adopted 5-year-old sons Bucky and Winter, alone. Howard was devastated and became fixated on finding Steve. The boys had come to live with them in the manor, but when Howard’s temper began changing, Maria made the executive decision for the boys to live with Jarvis and Ana in a separate house not far down the hill.

Howard was falling harder and harder, his actions would’ve made Steve disappointed. So when Maria found out about her twins, she kept it a secret. From everyone except Ana, Jarvis, and Peggy.

Ana was the only one present when they were born 6 months after Steve’s disappearance. Howard was on another of his expeditions and Jarvis was at home, caring for Bucky and Winter who had just started kindergarten. 

Maria smiled down at her beautiful sons.

And you see, this is where their story begins. These prodigal twins. Anthony Edward and Anthony Edwin Stark.

_______

So the timeline goes, Anthony Edward Stark built his first motherboard at 4, but Anthony Edwin Stark’s skills wouldn’t fully be realized until later. For now, Anthony Edwin Stark enjoyed creating music. With Howard only home every few months, keeping Edwin a secret was easy. The twins worked together seamlessly, working hard to be one person.

Howard was none the wiser, but when the abuse and disappointment started, Edwin was determined to swap places with his 3 minute older brother, but after the first time resulted in a black-eye due to Edwin’s lesser knowledge of technology, he, begrudgingly, with a mountain full of guilt, agreed to let Edward face their father anytime he was in town.

“But I’ll be watching! If it gets too much I’m coming in,” Edwin grumbled with all the resolve a 5-year-old could have.

Edward nodded as well. “Of course. We’re a team.”

So Edward worked hard to fulfill their father’s requests, and Edwin patched his twin up with astounding ease, having taken up lessons from Jarvis. Thankfully though, Edward never showed their father any of his new designs, only ever fixing or improving what Howard told him. The boys had decided that it would be no use showing him anyway. Maria was proud of them. Jarvis was proud of them. Ana was proud of them. And that was enough.

Around this time, Edward decided he absolutely hated being called Anthony so it made Maria’s life much easier. Her sons Tony and Anthony were alike, but so very different in their own ways.

________

The twins were 7 the first time they met Bucky Barnes. Tony had been down in foyer when the 11-year-old had burst through the doorway and almost crashed into the smaller boy. 

“Sorry ‘bout that!” he said, and Tony just nodded. Tony turned to leave when the boy grabbed his arm. Tony flinched barely, but the boy caught it. He quickly let go,

“Ma bad. I was jus lookin’ for ma pop. Ya seen ‘im anywhere?”

Tony looked confused.

“Ma pop’s name is Jarvis? He said I could find ‘im here.”

“Jarvis has a son?” Tony blurted out before he could stop himself.

The boy snorted. “Nah, I ain’t his real son. I’m adopted. He and Ana are the best parents tho. The name’s James, but ma friends would’a called me Bucky.”

“Would’ve?” Tony asked confused once more.

“Don’t really have much of ‘em now do I? None that’r worth salt anyway.”

Tony nodded. “Me too. I’m Tony.” He stuck his hand out and Bucky shook it.

“So, why do you need Jarvis?”

“Oh! I presented! I’m a shifter!” Bucky crowed with happiness. Tony nodded along, not really following, but happy none the less. Bucky’s enthusiasm was contagious.

“Wanna check it out?” Bucky asked eagerly. 

“You don’t want Jarvis to be the first?” Tony blinked confused.

“That’d be cool, but havin’ a friend check it out is totally different so it’s no biggie.” Bucky grinned.

Tony nodded slowly.  _ A friend? That’s nice. Edwin’ll like him. _ Bucky screwed up his face in concentration and suddenly,  _ bam! _ Tony blinked in utter awe as he gazed down at a small fluffy pup. He yipped in happiness, his little brown tail wagging furiously back and forth. Tony’s mantra of  _ Stark men are made of iron  _ immediately flew out the window. He held out for a few seconds more, indecision wracking his tiny frame. Finally, he squealed in delight and enveloped the puppy in a bone crushing hug. That didn’t stop Bucky from barking louder and wiggling around in Tony’s arms. He nuzzled his head into the crook of Tony’s neck and woofed in content.

“Now what is all this about young sir?” came a voice from behind the pair.

“Jarvis look!” Tony giggled excitedly. He wiggled around enough to expose Bucky in his entirety.

“Well, hello son,” Jarvis smiled. Bucky barked in reply, tail wagging even faster. 

Tony frowned in confusion. “How’d you know it was him Jarvis?” Jarvis crouched down and stroked the pup’s fur. “I’d recognize my son anywhere. Just like you young sir.”

“Lies dad!” came Bucky’s voice, newly transformed back into his human self. He ruffled Tony’s hair and then pointed at his left side. “It’s cuz of the scars on ma eye kid.”

“Kid?” Tony squawked indignantly.

Now it was Bucky’s turn to look confused. “That’s the only thing you caught? Not the part about them scars?”

“Well, ya. It’s not my business as to why you’re face’s got scars on it. It doesn’t bother me.” Bucky’s confusion morphed into surprise. “It doesn’t?”

Tony shook his head and Bucky sighed. “I knew I should’a listened ta pop. He always got da best advice.” Jarvis chuckled and stood. “I don’t know about always my boy, but when it comes to young Tony, I know him well.” Tony glowed at the praise.

“Now come along you two, Ana has some biscuits ready. She might need some help testing them.” Bucky ran a few steps before realizing Tony was still next to Jarvis. He turned back and held out his hand. 

“Let’s go kiddo!”

Uncertainty crossed Tony’s face again before looking up at Jarvis. Jarvis just smiled encouragingly and held out his own hand. Tony knew his father wasn’t home but he looked around anyway before carefully taking Jarvis’ hand. Then he looked back at Bucky’s still outstretched hand. It felt like hours before Tony slowly lifted his other hand and gently slotted his with Bucky’s.

Bucky didn’t necessarily understand why he felt so special, but nothing could stop him from beaming like a thousand-watt bulb.

They slowly made their way to the kitchen and everyone called out their greetings to Ana. She smiled warmly. 

“Roping  Bébi Anthony into trouble already, are you kicsim?” She came over and planted a kiss to both their heads. 

“I din’ get a chance yet ma! But he seems real swell.” Tony smiled into the biscuit Ana had handed him. Jarvis was the only one to catch it and Anthony’s slowly increasing enthusiasm was a blessing. As Jarvis came to hand them their milk Tony gave his sleeve a quick tug. Jarvis nodded minutely and wandered off. 

Bucky didn’t seem to notice his father’s absence and turned to stare at the brunette beside him. 

“So,” he started.

Tony froze. “Ya like cars much?” Tony blinked.

“Cars?”

“Ya, o’ course pops drives yer car ‘round and that’s cool n’ all, but I wanna check out the other ones Mr. Stark’s got lyin’ ‘round. Pop says they’re classics.”

Tony nodded slowly. He’d seen his father’s cars before, but he’d never been allowed to go near them.

“So do ya like ‘em?”

“They’re cool,” Tony says slowly.

“Whad’ya like then lil guy?”

Tony looked at Ana unsurely. She just smiled back and gave a  _ ‘go on’ _ gesture. Tony looked back at Bucky then quietly muttered his reply. Had Bucky been a normal child, he most likely wouldn’t have been able to pick up the word. Since no one knew that Bucky wasn’t entirely normal, he heard it just fine.

“Robots are neat ain’t they? I wish I could see one.”

Tony’s jaw dropped in surprise. “Really? You think so?”

“He- totally, ya.”

Tony lit up and Bucky grinned as well. The two finished off their snacks when Jarvis returned. Tony glanced up and Jarvis fixed his shirt collar ever so slightly. Tony’s grin widened before turning back to Bucky who was avidly describing some robot movie he’d watched the week before.

Ana left them for a few minutes before clearing her throat. “Don’t you have homework kicsim?”

Bucky blinked. “Oh. Right. Sorry kiddo, I’ma head home ta finish it. Math’s hard.”

“I can help you.” Tony blurted out before he could stop himself. Bucky blinked again.

“But not today. Maybe Saturday?” Tony asked, his voice quieter than before, his face unsure.

“Uh, sure? I can bring it by,” Bucky said uncertainly.

“I’m really smart I promise! Please?”

Jarvis glanced at the time before joining the boys. “How about I bring his answer tomorrow Master Tony.” Tony tensed up before nodding tersely and leaping out of his seat. With a quick “Thanks Ana” he rounded the corner and disappeared.

Jarvis and Bucky left through the kitchen with Bucky as deep in thought as a twelve-year-old could get. As Jarvis ushered his son down the hill a tad bit faster than usual he casually mentioned, “Master Tony is quite a genius. If you are not intimidated by that fact I believe it would be quite beneficial for you and him to meet again.”

Bucky looked up at Jarvis and the man in turn just smiled. “It is of course your decision.”

As they neared the gate Jarvis slowed and allowed his son to enter the house. Before closing the door Bucky turned to look at his father. “I think I’d like ta see ‘im again. He’s interestin’.”

Jarvis smiled. Both his “sons” would benefit from a friend. Hopefully, in the future, Edwin would be able to join them. With a quick goodbye, Jarvis hurried back to the mansion.

Jarvis was ready at the front door with little Tony beside him when Howard’s car pulled up. He was not in a good mood. His anger seemed to envelop the entire surrounding and Tony winced before quickly straightening. Howard threw open the door and immediately started yelling. 

___________________

When Tony was well enough, he had told his brother all about Jarvis’s son and the two agreed that they would keep an eye on him as a potential friend. Howard had thankfully left on Thursday to head another expedition to find Captain America.

With the house to themselves again the twins could roam freely, but a sudden knock on the door startled them both. Edwin quickly dashed to the kitchen where the small hidden elevator was and disappeared, Edward quickly straightened his clothes as best he could and went to open the door. To say he was shocked was an understatement.

“Heya kiddo!” Bucky greeted cheerfully.

“You came?” Tony gasped.

Bucky frowned. “Course I did, I promised ya din’t I?” Tony just nodded and let the older boy in. He headed for the foyer and found a suitable spot near the cold fireplace. Taking out his textbooks and papers he set them on the coffee table and plopped down on the carpet.

Tony cautiously joined him. 

“So here’s what ‘im workin’ on. This question’s a lil hard.”

Bucky and Tony spent 2 hours on Bucky’s homework. After math they had moved onto science and Bucky was thrilled that Tony knew a lot about it as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos appreciated! Stay tuned for part 2!
> 
> Kicsim - Little one in Hungarian since Ana is from Hungary


End file.
